Here - Ottawa Beat

Transcription

Here - Ottawa Beat

FREE
OTTAWA’S MUSIC NEWS
JULY 2016
OTTAWABEAT
APPRECIATING RAP AS A
WHITE PERSON
OXW 2016
WHY HOUSE SHOWS
ARE DOMINATING THE
OTTAWA SCENE
+ HOW TO HOST A
HOUSE SHOW
NAC’S
CROSSROADS
CONTENTS
JULY 2016
10 HOUSE SHOWS
13 ABOVE TOP SECRET
8 NIGHT LOVELL
FEATURES
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
HOW TO HAVE A HOUSE SHOW............................................................. 11
APPRECIATING RAP AS A WHITE DUDE................................................ 9
OTTAWA EXPLOSION WEEKEND IN PHOTOS........................................ 6
SPOOKY VIBES WITH DOXX.................................................................... 17
CROSSING OCEANS WITH FLYING HÓRSES........................................ 15
LISTINGS................................................................................................... 18
FREE
OTTAWA’S MUSIC NEWS
JULY 2016
OTTAWABEAT
APPRECIATING RAP AS A
WHITE PERSON
OXW 2016
WHY HOUSE SHOWS
ARE DOMINATING THE
OTTAWA SCENE
+ HOW TO HOST A
HOUSE SHOW
NAC’S
CROSSROADS
OTTAWA BEAT
ISSUE 2
JULY 2016
MANAGING EDITOR
Adella Khan
PUBLISHER
Luke Martin, CRS Inc
COVER
Ben Jensen
LAYOUT & DESIGN
Robin RichardsonDupuis
CONTRIBUTORS
Laura Beaulne-Stuebing
Andrew Carver
Adriana Ciccone
Willow Cioppa
Josh Hart
Hana Jama
Laura Jasmine
Patrick Jodoin
Evan McKay
Elsa Mizraei
Matías Muñoz
Nneka Nnagbo
Awar Obob
Byron Pascoe
Joe Ryan
Ashelita Shellard
Mackenzie Smedmor
Ben van Duyvendyk
Rachel Weldon
I have been fortunate to spend time in a
couple of different cities in Canada in June.
The music scenes in Calgary and Halifax are
thriving and producing some of the best new
music in the country. They have a lot to be
proud of.
Here in Ottawa, the hip-hop scene is
stronger than it has been in a decade. The
DIY house show scene is producing punk and
hardcore as good any city in North America.
In terms of sheer talent, Ottawa is on par with
both Halifax and Calgary. No question.
With a full calendar of shows and festival
season in full effect, there is no shortage this
month of opportunity to check out what the
Ottawa music scene has to offer.
One thing that was interesting to see was
how the local business communities and
municipalities had worked in concert with the
respective music scenes to grow their collected
cultural landscape. If there are lessons to
be learned and implemented from what’s
happening in different cities, it's there.
— Luke Martin, Publisher
OTTAWA BEAT.COM
@OTTAWABEAT
/OTTAWABEAT
@OTTAWABEAT
FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, CONTACT:
[email protected]
All work © CRS Inc 2016. All rights reserved.
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OTTAWA BEAT - JULY 2016
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THE NEW LOCAL:
ELEMENTALS
CKCU
WORDS & PHOTO BY EVAN MCKAY
THE NEW LOCAL IS ONE OF CKCU’S MUSIC PROGRAMS FEATURING LOCAL
OTTAWA AND CANADIAN MUSIC. HOSTED WEEKLY BY EVAN MCKAY, THE
NEW LOCAL AIMS TO EXPOSE THE UNDERAPPRECIATED ARTISTS LURKING
WITHIN CANADA’S BACKYARD.
Born out of the small town of
Almonte, Ont., Elementals is a
three-piece alternative group with
an ever-changing and evolving
sound that blurs the boundaries
between contemporary genres. The
three piece group consists of Cody
Smith on guitar and vocals, Rick
Vaughn on bass and vocals, and
Jamie Speck on drums.
The band is often compared
to Nirvana due to their similar
contrast between quiet verses and
loud and aggressive choruses.
Those days may be behind the band
as they move into a more distinctive
sound from what fans have heard
on their debut album, I’m Not
Here, I’m Not Real released in Sept.
2015.
“We’re in a really weird time
right now,” said Smith, the main
songwriter for the band. “My song
writing has really matured since we
first started playing together. So the
things you hear recorded right now,
you could consider grungy and
alternative but you can expect to
hear not so much pump-up-loudyelly music anymore. It’s turned
quieter and more introspective.”
While he would have loved the
comparisons to Kurt Cobain when
he was younger, Smith said it’s far
from what he wants now.
“Now I feel like I’m just
embodying someone else and that’s
just a really sickening feeling,” he
said. “It’s not the cause for the way
our music is going to change but
I am excited for people to not be
comparing us to Nirvana so often.”
After playing a set on CKCU’s
live music show, Ottawa Live
Music, Elementals debuted some
impressive new material that
certainly steps away from the
grungy sound that I’m Not Here,
I’m Not Real showcased.
This performance also gave
Vaughn a chance to show off his
vocal skills that have yet to be used
previously in any of the bands
recorded material.
“I’ve always been a singer
foremost,” Vaughn said. “But
starting with this band I moved
from guitar and vocals to bass.
And a lot of the stuff that Cody
had written was done by himself
so I added little backup vocal parts
where I could. Though with the
new songwriting, I think we both
opened up space to work together
on everything”
Though the exact details and
NOTES FROM THE COALITION
July in Ottawa. Just like that, we are in the thickest part of the annual
onset of valley humidity, fully submerged in festival season, and music is
everywhere.
Last month we saw festivals like West Fest, Ottawa Explosion
Weekend, Festival Franco-Ontarien, Glow Fair, and Dragon Boat
Festival fill the city with live music. Ottawa Jazz Festival is currently
in full swing, while Bluesfest is just around the corner, and Arboretum
Festival and CityFolk are in view on the horizon. There are loads more
worth mentioning if we had the space to name them all. It’s great to see
Ottawa animated with live music at almost every turn, especially when
there is so much home-grown local talent on our festival stages.
One of the things we want to do at OMIC is put a spotlight on that
local talent. With hundreds of thousands of spectators attending
our city’s festivals, it’s a great opportunity to spread the word about
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release date for the new material
have yet to be confirmed, a new
release is indeed underway. Smith
spoke briefly on the direction
Elementals is taking for their new
music.
“I think we’re going to take some
time, in terms of layering of the
songs. Maybe adding some synth,”
he said. “I’d like to take some time
with this one and just experiment
since we didn’t get to do that on I’m
Not Here, I’m Not Real.
“Some of it’s going to be weird.
You’re not going to expect some
parts,” Speck said.
You can hear Elementals playing
some of their new material July 11
on The New Local on 93.1 FM or
check it online. •
OMIC
the music being made right here in the 613/819. In partnership
with MEGAPHONO, we’ve put together a round-up of local artists
performing at this year’s Bluesfest as one way to help get the word out.
We are also excited to be working with MEGAPHONO to host a Music
Industry Mixer July 14 as a part of Bluesfest, with a live performance by
Amanda Lowe. Not only do OMIC members get in for free, but Bluesfest
has also graciously offered free entry into the festival on July 14 for our
membership! So, if you aren’t a member of OMIC yet, now is a great
time to join. Find more information and register on our website.
To keep up to date on local music industry goings on, sign up for our
mailing list online.
THE OTTAWA MUSIC INDUSTRY COALITION IS A MEMBER-BASED NOTFOR-PROFIT DEDICATED TO GROWING THE CITY’S MUSIC INDUSTRIES.
FIND OUT MORE AT OTTAWAMIC.COM. •
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PHOTOGRAPHY
OTTAWA EXPLOSION WEEKEND 2016
PHOTOS BY
Ming Wu
OTTAWA EXPLOSION WEEKEND IS A YEARLY MULTI-DAY, MULTI-VENUE INDEPENDENT
MUSIC SHOWCASE. IT TOOK PLACE JUNE 15 — 19 2016.
CHILLER
JUNE 19 | CLUB SAW
BOYHOOD
JUNE 17 | ST ALBAN’S
THE CREEPS
JUNE 16 | CLUB SAW
MIXER
JUNE 19 | CLUB SAW
THE YIPS
JUNE 15 | CLUB SAW
EXPANDA FUZZ
JUNE 15 | CLUB SAW
BB CREAM
JUNE 19 | CLUB SAW
WARP LINES
JUNE 18 | THE DOMINION
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SCATTERED CLOUDS
JUNE 15 | SAW GALLERY
SEDATIVES
JUNE 16 | CLUB SAW
STEVE ADAMYK BAND
JUNE 16 | CLUB SAW
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INSIDE THE MELODIC
WORLD OF NIGHT LOVELL
WHEN WHITE PEOPLE SHOW UP,
SOMETIMES RACISM DOES TOO
BY NNEKA NNAGBO
BY JOSH HART & JOE RYAN
MEET THE ARTIST MAKING MAJOR WAVES ALL OVER THE RAP
BLOGOSPHERE AND PUTTING OTTAWA ON THE MAP.
The throbbing feeling of freedom and raw live sound upon entering
a Night Lovell show, is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
The physical energy of the atmosphere he creates vibrates through
the walls and grips you, leaving you transfixed as you get pulled into a
mosh-pit frenzy.
His music attracts a certain crowd. An unruly crowd verging on
ravenous crazed mob, chanting in sync to his most notable songs,
spellbound by his bars, hooks, and heavy baselines.
He has a cadence similar to Travis Scott and Earl Sweatshirt and
the deep tonal, commanding richness of MF Doom. His stage presence
is infectious. The energy in heat-filled venues he is in stick to you and
your limbs like sweat and force you to move. His musical approach is
new and exciting, divisive and youthful. Full of angst and hyped-up
stage antics, the rager has gained a reputation for creating heavy synth
and beats-that-bang into dark, melodic rap.
After releasing a solid buzz-building debut mixtape, Concept Vague,
in late 2014, Lovell followed it up with his long-awaited second solo
release, Red Teenage Melody, venting and flexing through his bars
about his rising popularity, hype and expectations, his fans, making
money, girls, media scrutiny, and the unforgiving jury that every artist
must face at some point—the haters.
Lovell’s feral stage presence, distinctive growl, and online presence
have won the young rapper a legion of followers. All this, coupled with
the diaristic nature of his rhymes and his dark, sonorous vocals, make
him as much angsty as hip-hop.
In May, the Ottawa native released his second full length album
titled Red Teenage Melody, showcasing the young rapper’s evolution
even over the short space of the past year or two, demonstrating an
even tighter lyrical focus, a willingness to play with different flows, and
stranger, more spaced-out beats.
Breaking the iTunes Top 20 charts in its first week, Red Teenage
Melody is a natural sequel to Concept Vague —a dark and brooding,
indie-rap mixtape. Where Concept Vague was more menacing and less
inviting, this album offers a more vivid and complex soundscape. A
true testament to how far Lovell has come in honing his craft.
Heavy bass and spacey sounds fill the 14-track album, including
features from Nessly, Wavy Drexler, Pathway Private, and Dylan
Brady. Prior to the album release, Lovell released his two blustery lead
singles from the album, “Louis V” and “Contraband,” detailing the
newcomer’s impressive musical prowess.
The 14 tracks on Red Teenage Melody simmer at the same
temperature as “Louis V” and “Contraband,” showcasing even more of
Lovell’s gritty basso and monstrous beats. As an MC, Lovell is blustery;
he is more compelling when he slips into his viscous mid-range. His
take on slash-and-burn rap is particularly noteworthy: “Boy Red”
remains a frontrunner for perhaps one of the best songs on the album.
The album opens with the nightmarish, tribal “Boy Red.” You feel
“Boy Red” immediately: the horn skulks in first, then the bass, and
Lovell enters not long after, lapsing into a high-pitched malevolent-
JOSH HART AND JOE RYAN ARE LONGTIME
FRIENDS WHO BOND OVER THEIR LOVE OF POP
CULTURE. IN JULY THEY ARE GOING TO SEE
FUTURE TOGETHER AT BLUESFEST AND ARE
NERVOUS ABOUT THE AUDIENCE.
PHOTO BY WASSIM PHARAH
muppet voice layered atop his characteristic growl.
The album’s most anthemic track, “Problems,” is characterized
by the rapper’s signature calm-and-cool, foreboding dirge overtop a
boisterous backing track.
“Guidance” is emblematic of the sound that dominates contemporary
rap and hip-hop today—somber and lyrically candid music. This track
in particular, declawed by rich textures and melodicism, is sludgy but
precise. Lovell’s delivery is frictionless and, seemingly, heavily indebted
to a style similar in nature to Travis Scott and Future.
Abstract and bled completely of anything that resembles
mainstream hip-hop, Red Teenage Melody is a game-changing and
sonically complex album.
As a whole, the album is cold and raw and sonically pleasing; that
even goes for the bruisers. Possessing dark melodies hammered out
on wonky synths and clattering breakbeats, but padded with eclectic
sound embellishments that give the album an animated breadth.
Night Lovell is very much a part of the rap zeitgeist of today and
what we are witnessing is the sound of a creative mind coming into the
possession of the proper means to carry out his ideas—and doing a fine
job at it. •
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.
Joe: Have you had moments when you are at
a rap show and you look over and think, what the
hell are you doing?
Josh: I remember a few years ago I went to a
Lauryn Hill concert and nearby me was a white
lady with dreads. I thought ‘Do you get the point
of what’s going here?’
It is wild that some people welcome
themselves to the sort of criticism so carelessly.
Someone on Twitter was talking about being at
the Beyoncé show and seeing a bunch of white
women with dreads there. It was unbelieveable
that in 2016, after we’ve had conversation after
conversation about appropriation of black
culture by whites, that no one has done anything
to modify their behaviour when they are hanging
out in predominately black spaces.
I think you can confront people if they really
expect to be welcomed into spaces and have done
nothing to honour the artists and the people that
the art is created to celebrate. I don’t think it is
reasonable to openly offend who the art is made
to uplift. If you do something like that you open
yourself to criticism by flagrantly disregarding
the feelings and attitudes of the people the art
that you wish to enjoy is made for.
Joe: Freddie Gibbs’ show at Babylon
is something I think of often and feel
uncomfortable about. There were too many
people there that look like me. Not to say that I
“get it” or get to be an exception but I have tried
to give a shit about black people as a people and
not just take this segmented popularized part of
their culture and divorce it from their existence.
I feel like there are likely a lot of people who
intentionally or unintentionally have done that.
I don’t know how to open up a dialogue with
those people. It shouldn’t be your responsibility
either. As someone going into these spaces,
white people should talk to white people but I
don’t even know what to say because essentially
what you are asking is ‘can you acknowledge this
person’s humanity?’
Josh: That’s the problem. Far too often
fans of rap music fail to critically acknowledge
broader issues that are affecting black life in
North America. Showing up at concerts is often
their only real interaction with black people in
their city. That is clearly a big, big problem. I
don’t know what the obvious solution is beyond
encouraging white fans to stick around the
scene year-round in all its iterations. DJ nights,
community meetings, locals shows, BBQs, and to
be present in the lives of those who want to enjoy
music with. That’s all anybody expects of you is
to be someone to have the integrity to be a real
contributor to a community you wish to benefit
from.
Joe: If you are taking things out of a
community, you should give back to it. From
my experience if you are white and going into
these spaces, remember that you don’t know
everything and you are going to make mistakes.
You will slip up and do or say things that make
people uncomfortable because you don’t know
or you aren’t thinking compassionately. That
doesn’t mean you can’t change or do better.
ILLUSTRATION BY ASHELITA SHELLARD
Josh: It doesn’t mean that you aren’t
welcome. You just have to keep working.
Joe: Do not double down and get really
offended.
Josh: That’ll make you look like a nerd.
Joe: It’ll be so corny.
Josh: [white person voice] “Oh I’m not racist
because I went to see Kanye West last summer! I
also painted over the black lives matter poster on
Bank Street because I want people to remember
that white lives also matter as much, if not a little
bit more than, black lives. I don’t mean to be
offensive.”
Joe: That’s the undercurrent I sense from
many of my peers. It isn’t the performer’s
responsibility and it isn’t the black community’s
responsibility to teach white people how to
behave appropriately in public.
Josh: Simple ideas like not saying n****
loudly because it is still a racial epithet that’s
threatening to black people when it is uttered by
white people. That’s just true.
I know Kanye West says it a lot of The Life of
Pablo, too bad. You’ll need to learn to be decent.
Don’t be hostile by screaming a word that many
have let you know is not acceptable when coming
out of the mouth of white folks. Every once in
a while a slip up is ok. Everybody gets caught
up but there’s no excuse to use it constantly
when you are called out on it. When somebody
is uncomfortable with you saying n**** loudly
in their face at a rap show it is because they are
genuinely upset.
Joe: Have you had other conversations with
black friends about how white people come into
spaces and make you uncomfortable?
Josh: I’m amazed by how different crowds
become as soon artists reach a critical mass
where they have a large percentage of white fans.
I’ve been to shows with only black people and
a few months later in the same venue seeing a
similar artist with a lot more white fans and the
energy changes.
It was a place that previously was a really
exciting place for black people to hang out, enjoy
music and each other’s company. Now it is a
place where we have to negotiate and police the
behaviour of people who often behave in a way
that is unacceptable. Which is a drag.
At shows where there aren’t white people no
one has one eye open looking at someone who
might yell n**** in their direction. That’s the
biggest difference. When white people show up
sometimes so does racism.
A few months ago in Toronto, Travis Scott
was opening for Rihanna and a white fan rapped
the full lyrics to “3500”. He said the n- word
few times. To me it was uncomfortable with the
conviction he landed on that n****. He didn’t
think about it for a second.
Joe: Oh God. I did not hear about that.
Josh: Complex reported on it and Travis
Scott kinda congratulated the kid on it. In the
crowd you could see mostly white folks. Is it on
artists to check fans from doing stuff like this?
Joe: I don’t want to put that responsibility
on the artist. They don’t want to fuck with their
money.
Josh: If you say “Hey white boy you can’t say
that.”
Joe: Is Rodeo going to keep selling?
Josh: It is tricky.
Joe: Closing thoughts?
Josh: Fuck Anthony Fantano.
Joe: He’s endemic of so many of the problems
with whiteness and rap music.
Josh: He’s a germ. It is a celebration of music
that black people don’t even really like. For
instance I like the Travis Scott record but I know
lots and lots of black people who don’t. I think
that’s a more mainstream opinion on the record
and idiots like him are saying this guy made
the best trap album ever. That is not true, Dirty
Sprite 2 is. There’s been so many projects you’d
have to put ahead of that one. Let black people
determine what shit really slaps.
Joe: Listen actively, reflect, be conscious of
the space you take up and those around you.
Have fun but don’t have fun at the expense of
other people’s humanity. •
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HOUSE SHOWS:
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SHOW . . .
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WHERE THEY CAME
FROM AND WHY
THEY’RE DOMINATING
THE OTTAWA SCENE
BY AWAR OBOB
AWAR OBOB IS A WRITER, ARTIST, MUSE, MODEL, HOUSE SHOW HOST, AND O.G.
(ORIGINAL GOTH).
Hosting a house show isn’t too hard, but hosting a good one can be. Here’s a few
tips and tricks I learned over the last seven years to ensure that you have a semismooth run!
BY ADRIANA CICCONE
NO NEED TO KNOCK, JUST COME ON IN
The concept of house concerts is not a new
one. From the days of Mozart, to the folk
artists of the 1950s, to the Ottawa punks now,
musicians have been entertaining audiences
in living rooms, basements, and backyards for
ages.
John Higney, a musicologist at Carleton
University, said the reasons house shows exist
has changed over the years.
“Rock music has always had a DIY element
but more recently house shows seem to be
driven more by a scarcity of places to play
than economic necessity,” Higney said. “This
scarcity might be simply too few or unwilling
venues or because fans under the age of
majority cannot attend shows where alcohol
is served.”
House concerts are often organized by
individuals using this DIY element but there
are organizations in the Ottawa area devoted
to organizing house concerts. Arnie Francis,
co-founded a non-profit initiative for jazz
artists and lovers, jazzn.ca, to help organize
in-house jazz concerts.
With the help of local businesses,
volunteers, and a set number of houses that
have been donated by individuals in the
community, Francis and his partner work out
the details for every show so the host has little
to do.
“Hosts get to practice the art of hospitality
with little of the hassle of invitations, RSVPs,
clean-up, or organization,” Francis said.
House concerts also provide other things
bands and concert-goers are sometimes
missing from bars or concert halls. Higney
said house shows serve a different crowd.
“House shows have a completely different
social dynamic and tend to attract dedicated
fans who behave according to the practice of
the genre,” he said.
Scott Terry, a guitarist for the bands The
10
HOUSE SHOWS
PHOTOS BY MACKENZIE SMEDMORE
Fucking Machines, Trees of North America,
Camp Radio and MIG20, said the close
proximity between bands and the audience
at house concerts makes for a memorable
experience.
“As an artist, I loved being on the same
level as the crowd, sweating, dancing, and
having them sing along. Worked the same
way as a concert-goer for me too,” Terry
said. “Screaming “fuck you” repeatedly into
a mic while being entangled in its cable with
the singer from Trail of Dead was a pretty
memorable experience.”
As an audience member, every spot in
the house is a great one because of one’s
proximity to the band.
“An intimate acoustic guitar gathering
or show will be completely different in a
house show setting as opposed to a bigger
venue,” Terry said. “A raging punk show in
a packed, sweaty basement is an ethereal
experience—one that I don’t think could be
matched in a club or bar. It may come close,
but the camaraderie of house shows is pretty
impressive.”
Jake Bornheimer, a member of the
band Herons Wake, said he finds it more
comfortable to play at a house show and with
the recent loss of a few smaller venues in
town, house concerts are a good alternative
to try new things.
“[House concerts] are certainly a safer
space to try out new sounds and songs
that you might not want to do elsewhere,”
Bornheimer said. “With the loss of three of
Ottawa’s best small venues last year, there
has really been a need for more safe spaces
for smaller bands to play in.”
Mike Kelly, drummer of Clavius Control,
echoed this sentiment.
“With so many sub genres emerging, house
concerts are a more accessible option for
bands which play styles of music that may
not have as “marketable” of a sound,” Kelly
said.
Although the amount varies, house
concerts usually provide guaranteed revenue
for the bands.
Through jazzn.ca, Francis said artists
usually get “better-than-scale compensation.”
House concerts not organized in the same
way still get compensated either through a
set amount at the door or a pay-what-youcan (PWYC) system.
“Money-wise, house shows are better for
[small] artists. PWYC models dominate and
actually end up paying better than shows I do
in established venues,” Bornheimer said.
Musicians often also have the opportunity
to sell merchandise at house concerts, where
the money goes straight to the artist.
“Artists directly benefit from the sense of
community this environment fosters,” Higney
said. “A real sense of loyalty and personal
connection exists here and many tell you that
they sell significantly more merch at these
shows than in bars or larger concert venues.”
Another option related to house concerts is
live streaming of shows. Bands can play from
their gig space and with the use of streaming
technology, possibly reach hundreds of people
without having moved any of their gear.
Shane Whitbread, guitarist for Loviatar
and a solo artist, said he’s become more
interested in this idea as technology becomes
affordable and allows his music to be more
easily accessed.
“I think this is coming from no space being
ideal,” Whitbread said. “Bars and real venues
are limited to what sells drinks and puts asses
in the seats, house shows often have subpar
gear, crappy power and can be incredibly
clique-y. Art spaces are great but there are so
few they are impossible to book. So the idea
of streaming performances has become way
more appealing to me.”
Streaming live performances does offer the
possibility of reaching a bigger audience and
lessens the burden on the band, but Higney
said it misses the connection made with a live
audience.
“The house show’s value, to both the
audience and performer, in part lies in its
scarcity. It will only happen once and only
those in attendance will ever enjoy the
experience,” Higney said. “Streaming live
house shows undermines the scarcity . . .
that imparts value to the live house how and,
for this reason, I see the two as somewhat at
odds.”
House concerts are definitely another
option for bands wanting to play live in front
of an audience. Not only do house concerts
provide a safe and economically great place to
play, they foster a sense of community.
With the number of bands currently from
and outside of Ottawa wanting to play live
and a lack of smaller venues in the city,
alternative spaces for gigging are needed. Let
house shows fill that need. •
• If you have neighbours, make sure to let them know the gist of the event at least
a week in advance. This gives them time to schedule a night out and also shows that
you have respect towards their existence. Don’t be that crappy neighbour who hosts
parties and destroys property every weekend with no regard to those around you!
• Start to book bands for the show at least six to eight weeks beforehand. People,
especially groups of them, need the time to book off of work/practice/possibly fit
you into their tour schedule.
• If you can’t give the bands a flat fee, let them know they have a guaranteed
percentage of the door profits. Unless you have a surplus of cash or a receiving
artists grants, it’s nearly impossible to guarantee a performance fee as a D.I.Y.
venue! Be clear with the artists about your financial situation, most local
performers are comfortable with pay-what-you-can shows as long as you’re clear
with your intentions.
• Promote, promote, promote! The major key to a successful house show, or
any show really, is the promotion. Start at least a month before the set date and
send the event page and a short biography about the venue and hosts to sites that
list concerts and events in your city. Get your friends to post about it, find groups
in your city and talk about it there, print out posters/hand bills and plaster them
around the city. Make sure your name is out there and don’t be afraid to talk it up if
you need to. Sometimes you need to fake it until you make it.
Hopefully these tips help you out, and if they do, or want help with a specific part
of planning, feel free to let me know! The Ottawa music scene is only as small as
you want make it. •
ILLUSTRATION BY BEN JENSEN
11
PHOTO BY BRIANNA ROYE
ABOVE TOP SECRET TALKS POLITICS AND COMMUNITY
BY ELSA MIZRAEI
“WHERE ARE ALL OUR WOMEN,
AND WHERE HAVE THEY GONE?”
Leilani and SunSun of ATS
and Lido Pimienta are asking
in their song from the selftitled Above Top Secret EP
set to release in July on Daps
Records.
Above Top Secret has been
making music for 6 years now
but is just returning from a
2014 hiatus.
ELSE: HOW HAVE YOU DEVELOPED
AS A BAND IN THAT TIME? WHAT
DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR BAND IN THE
FUTURE?
Leilani: We took a hiatus when
our band member quit after
a gig we played in New York
(where we opened for Shabazz
Palaces and THEESatisfaction
for the Soul of BK Festival)
and we didn’t know how to
move forward. It took a while
to realize that the only way to
move forward was to rebrand
ourselves and the band.
Breathe new life into it, you
know?
We figured out a way to
balance our sound and make it
more palatable for those who
want to dance as well as fight
the system without getting too
overwhelmed.
The future for ATS holds
more albums, videos, tours,
collaborations, support and
growth. Sustainability. The
ability to live off of our art and
our passions.
12
ELSA: CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THE SONG “BANG”? HOW
DOES THIS SONG FIT INTO YOUR
NEW ALBUM?
Leilani: BANG is a song that
focuses mainly on missing and
murdered Indigenous women,
but also touches on the issues
of police brutality and organ
harvesting. It’s probably our
heaviest politically charged song
on the album.
ELSA: WHEN I HEARD BANG FOR
THE FIRST TIME, I GOT SHIVERS
LISTENING TO IT. IT IS AN EERIE
SONG THAT IS DEMANDING JUSTICE
FOR MISSING AND MURDERED
INDIGENOUS WOMEN. I WAS
ALSO CAUGHT OFF GUARD WHEN I
NOTICED THE LINKS IN THE SONG
BETWEEN THE EXPERIENCE OF
BLACKNESS AS WELL. CAN YOU TELL
ME ABOUT THE INTERSECTIONS OF
THESE IDENTITIES IN THE SONG?
Leilani: As a mother of a black
and Indigenous teenager, for
me, there is no distinction
between the experience of
blackness and the experience
of being Indigenous in a white
supremacist, colonizer society
that doesn’t value your life.
They are intertwined. The
struggle, the pain, the fear, live
in both communities. I wanted
to capture that reality in my
verses for this song and felt it
important as a black woman,
a mother, to shine the light
and spread the message. Unity
through understanding different
sides of the same story.
ELSA: YOU ARE PART OF AN
ARTISTS’ COLLECTIVE, 88 DAYS OF
FORTUNE, IN TORONTO. WHAT KIND
OF ART DOES 88 DAYS OF FORTUNE
FEATURE? HOW HAS BEING A
PART OF AN ARTISTS’ COLLECTIVE
HELPED YOUR OWN CAREER AS A
MUSICIAN?
Leilani: SunSun and I are
members as well as co-founders
and directors of 88 Days of
Fortune. We feature all sorts of
creatives. Fashion, visual art,
tattoo artists, actors, filmmakers,
photographers, musicians. . .
Being a part of 88 Days has help
us to connect with a community
of like minded and ultra talented
people. It has given us (along
with a ton of others) a platform
to share our art, finance videos
and albums as well as provided us
with opportunities to collaborate
and perform for/with other arts
organizations, collectives and
promoters across North America
and Europe.
ELSA: YOU WILL BE ONE OF THE
FEATURED ARTISTS ON A COPRESENTATION BETWEEN BABELY
SHADES, AN OTTAWA ARTISTS’
COLLECTIVE, AND 88 DAYS OF
FORTUNE, ALONG WITH LIDO
PIMIENTA. WHAT CAN PEOPLE
EXPECT ON THIS DAY?
YOUR
AD
HERE
ADVERTISING
@OTTAWABEAT.COM
Leilani: Expect nothing, but
prepare for everything.
You can catch Above Top Secret
and Lido Pimienta on August
18, 2016 at Arboretum Music
Festival. •
13
CODY COYOTE
CROSSING OCEANS WITH FLYING HÓRSES
PROFILE
BY LAURA BEAULNE-STUEBING
BY MATÍAS MUÑOZ
CODY COYOTE IS ON A MISSION TO INSPIRE OTHERS
WITH HIP-HOP MUSIC.
There’s a place you can
go where the cruelties and
mundanities of everyday life
get whisked away, even if
only momentarily. A single
composition may evoke a
sense of escape, yearning, or
remembrance of days gone by,
all of which can be part and
parcel of the experience of
listening.
Flying Hórses brings us on
such a journey. The orchestral,
cinematic compositions of
Flying Hórses is the brainchild
of multi-instrumentalist and
songwriter Jade Bergeron.
Growing up in the countryside
north of Montreal, Bergeron
spent her early childhood riding
horses on her uncle’s ranch.
Her musical inclinations and
songwriting skills also sprouted
at a young age, as she recalls
writing a song for the class to
sing in preschool.
“I guess that was the first
song I ever wrote. It was about
finding treasure in the river,”
she said.
Although showing aptitude
for music early on, Bergeron
never had formal training
and found music lessons
uncomfortable. However, her
passion for songwriting grew as
she got older.
Moving to Ottawa at the age
of 22, she taught herself how
to play the keys and eventually
found a home amongst a small
but radiant music community.
“I’ve contemplated moving
back to Montreal a few times,”
she said. “But Ottawa feels like
a good base to write and make
music from. There’s room to
breathe here.”
As Bergeron continued
For a long time, Cody Coyote wasn’t able
to talk about his youth and the difficulties
he faced as a young Ojibwe man growing
up in Ottawa. It was tough to be on the
receiving end of racism and he turned to
drugs and alcohol.
What he didn’t know during his darkest
times was that a recording studio in his old
high school would set the stage for his life
to change.
When Coyote was a teen he began
writing and recording instrumentals with
friends. He found music to be the form of
expression he needed as a young man facing
racism and hardships, channeling feelings
and thoughts through songs.
It’s been a long road, but now Coyote is
four years sober and travels to First Nations
communities to perform and speak about
his experiences.
There weren’t many people who looked
like him making music when he starting
turning out rhymes years ago, but Coyote
gravitated towards hip-hop because it spoke
to him on a deep, cultural level.
“Hip-hop is ancient,” he said. “A lot of
people say it started in the eighties . . . [But]
a lot of the traits come from our ancestors.”
MCs are a regular fixture at pow wows, he
explained, to welcome dancers and hype up
a crowd. Same as in hip-hop. Storytelling,
too, is a huge part of Indigenous cultures
and many rappers and hip-hop artists are
considered storytellers, sharing important,
conscious messages about their lives, their
own struggles and their communities’
FRAYDCATION
PHOTO PROVIDED
struggles. This is reflected in current hiphop with artists such as Common and
Kendrick Lamar.
“Storytelling is a big aspect of hip-hop,
and I see myself as a storyteller,” Coyote
said. “I try to paint a picture so [listeners]
can see where I’ve been and where I am
now.”
Coyote is one of many Indigenous
musicians who are working to break
stereotypes about Indigenous people and
inspire youth to follow their dreams. Over
the past few years, artists like the DJs
from A Tribe Called Red, Saskatoon rapper
Drezus, and the group City Natives from the
east coast have been blending inspirational
messages and lyrical exploration of the
Indigenous experience in Canada with hiphop beats.
And his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
Coyote’s album Lose Control, released in
January 2015, was nominated for the best
rap/hip-hop CD and the song “Warrior” was
nominated for single of the year at the 2015
Indigenous Music Awards. Coyote said this
recognition is motivation to keep going.
“A lot of us know there are struggles in
our communities,” he said.
Repercussions from the residential school
system, the sixties scoop and generations of
trauma have led to dire situations in many
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities
that include poor living conditions and
abuse of alcohol and drugs.
By creating music that celebrates his
ancestry and the strength of culture, music
that’s meant to lift people up instead of tear
them down, Coyote said he is trying to be a
positive role model for those who may have
lost hope. In spite of the negative messages
that many Indigenous people hear, and
many have ingrained, he believes music is a
universal language that can reach anyone if
they’ll listen.
“Our voice is the strongest thing we
have,” he said. “Use it.” •
ALBUM REVIEW
BY NNEKA NNAGBO
OTTAWA ELECTRONIC PRODUCER
FRAYD RELEASED A NEW FIVESONG EP VACATION, FULL OF
FINELY-TUNED SINGLES AND FLUID
AND ROMANTICIZED TRACKS RIGHT
IN TIME FOR SUMMER.
Occasionally weaving between
pop-like tendencies and mellow
EDM, the album does not
stick within the parameters of
one genre. Instead, it moves
from electronic and synth into
chillstep, then into rap and back
to electronic with each track
growing in complexity.
“Frayd-step?” The young
producer jokes, when asked to
describe his musical sound.
“Since I take influence from so
many kinds of music my sound
is always changing and using
so many different elements. I
guess it would be in the world of
future bass or garage but that also
doesn’t really fit.”
Frayd eschews the usual stew
of radio-friendly music, opting
instead to use software to hone
a grittier, more intimate sound
targeted towards a cosmopolitan
audience.
14
“I grew up with ambient music
that had very heavy emotional
undertones and had this amazing
ability to connect parts of my
life to those songs,” he said.
“I always try my best to create
that experience with my music
because I want everyone to feel
that at some point.”
Vacation opens with the
dreamy tune, “On Me” featuring
Vikki Gilmore. The record takes
you on a surreal adventure as
Frayd moves into a breezy,
twinkling piece of lo-fi synth pop,
invoking a feeling of returning
home to a place you’ve never
been.
He has a fondness for feminine
voices singing in their upper
register as evidenced in “After
Dark,” which is probably the most
fully realized track on the EP,
complete with a painstakingly
emotional vocal performance
from Maria Barefoot.
Vacation is also somewhat of a
hip-hop album, and a successful
one at that. Frayd introduces rap
in the songs “Left Alone” and
“Glasses On,” altering the vibe
of the whole album. The rappers
Sol Patches and Scribe offer their
lyrical talents, rhyming over the
sounds of waves.
Over the length of his album,
Frayd employs a general
atmospheric formula—skittish
beats that cleave easily to
vocals, tight instrumentals, and
undulating synths—that swells
with energy.
It’s unmistakably a summer
album, and would be recognizable
as such even if the album weren’t
titled Vacation. The album bleeds
nostalgia and comfort—listening
to it feels like being caressed by
warm waves and wind.
With this EP, Frayd displays
a radical growth as a producer,
composer and arranger. Although
the album doesn’t stick to one genre,
OTTAWA SHOWBOX
PHOTO PROVIDED
to explore her own musical
horizons, she also discovered
new ones abroad. Her
fascination with Iceland and
its culture grew after a chance
encounter with an Icelandic
musician at New York City’s
White Light Festival in 2010,
a transformative live music
experience that she still deems
as magical to this day. From
there she fell in love with
Icelanding artists and it didn’t
take long for her love of Iceland
to seep into her music.
“Iceland became a huge part
of my life. I made the decision
to go, and I did just that the
following year,” she said.
“Traveling overseas has allowed
me to connect with other multiinstrumentalists and musicians
with the same goal in heart—
creating and sharing sounds
that are vulnerable, minimal,
and melancholic.”
Bergeron has visited Iceland
three times, immersing herself
in a completely new creative
atmosphere to write and record.
After her second trip in 2014,
she completed her album Tölt,
toured, and decided to move to
Iceland.
Listening to Flying Hórses’
2015 release Tölt from start
to finish is like wandering
through an enchanted forest
full of fading memories, some
of which are peaceful and
pure, and others that are dark
and mystifying. It is worth
noting that the album was
mixed by Nicolas Petrowsky of
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
at Mixart Studios in Montreal
and mastered by Birgir Jón
Birgisson of Sigur Rós at
Sundlaugin Studio in Iceland.
Upon returning to Ottawa
earlier this year, Bergeron
had to deal with the bizarre
phenomenon of reverse culture
shock. As one might expect,
being back home in the city
after living in isolation for
six months has its challenges.
During this adjustment period,
Flying Hórses was invited to
play this summer’s Montreal
Jazz Festival—one of the largest
of its kind in the world.
“It was overwhelming,” she
said. “Of course, the little girl
in me knew I had to play [at
Montreal Jazz Festival]. I’ve
dreamt of this opportunity since
I was a child.”
Bergeron is hoping to take
Flying Hórses to even greater
heights. She has hinted at there
being vocals included on new
material that she is working on,
but won’t divulge anything too
concrete.
“Who knows what the future
holds, music always calls the
shots!” •
it never feels amature. He has an
astute ability to figure out what
makes different styles tick, and to
replicate them in his own work.
There’s no question behind
the title of this EP either. It’s
a showcase of a producer who
wants to sonically send his
listener on an extended vacation,
whether real or imaginary,
without ever having to leave their
bedroom.
“I realized most of my music
was a lot more heavy or wintery,”
Frayd said. “I wanted to make
something that people could
listen to and immediately
associate with warm evenings,
driving at night, sandy feet at
the beaches, and watermelon too
maybe.” •
15
WEIRD TALES
BY BEN VAN DUYVENDYK
The tale as told recounts an infamous performance by Ottawa/Montreal noise artist Stan
K (formerly of Gutter Rocks' fame along with members of Plaster Babies and Heavy Medicine
Band). It was assembled from firsthand accounts from those present. Stan K is currently
running the IT STINKS label out of Montreal, playing shows here and there, and collaborating
with local electronic and metal acts such as Jason Skills and Plague Wyrm. The fish were real
and he stank like low tide for a week.
INTERVIEW
SPOOKY VIBES WITH DOXX
WORDS & PHOTO BY JOE RYAN
DOXX IS A FOUR-PIECE OTTAWA HARDCORE BAND WHO PLAY SONGS ABOUT
PUNK CONFORMITY, KILLING YOUR BOYFRIEND, AND BABY BOOMERS. YOU
CAN CHECK OUT THEIR SONGS ONLINE AT DOXXOTTAWA.BANDCAMP.COM
OR HEAD TO PRESSED ON AUGUST 6 TO SEE THEM IN PERSON.
WHAT WAS THE ONE BIG TAKEAWAY FROM THE ZINE SOFIA AND BRITTANY
CREATED ABOUT HOW TO START A BAND?
Brittany Neron: I think it can be best summarized by a line that
Sofia wrote.
Sofia Shutenko: Just a little background: Brit and I split it into two
parts and Brit’s part was about the logistics of starting a band.
Brittany: Like finding a jam space and all these little things that
nobody ever talks about.
Sofia: They aren’t that difficult but they are if you don’t know what
they are. So my part was about why you should be in a band. It was
mostly directed at young femme queer people of colour, why you
specifically should start one. Basically it was like you should be in a
band because you have more things to be angry about and it feels more
real when you talk about that stuff. The line that Brittany is talking
about is, “You have more right to be on stage and to be in this scene
than white boys who’ve been shitting out bands since they were 14.”
Brittany: I like that imagery because it is true [laughter].
TEENS IN THE SCENE
WORDS & ILLUSTRATION BY WILLOW CIOPPA
THIS PIECE IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES EXPLORING
SOME OF YOUNGER ARTISTS ACTIVE IN THE
OTTAWA MUSIC SCENE. WILLOW
CIOPPA SPOKE TO
KATARINA PAVELIĆ FROM
GEORGE FOREMAN GIRL.
WHAT KEEPS YOU EXCITED ABOUT MUSIC?
Sofia: This is going to sound so fucking corny. My bandmates are really
incredible people and I like spending time with them so that makes me
excited about music. I just get to hang with these great people and make
something we are all proud of.
Brittany: New people and new bands, especially younger folks coming
out and often starting bands. When we were down in Austin, Texas, we
saw a hardcore punk fest there. Every matinee show it was slowly like
younger bands. These kids were 14 or even younger with full braces
playing some of the most innovative/weird music you would ever hear.
Keiran Mckinnon: And all their friends were going off. It was the
craziest moshing I saw at the whole fest.
Brittany: One kid stapled a cactus to his face. You don’t do that once
you are 21. It was wild. The creativity looks different when you are young
and haven’t existed in the scene for a long time and don’t know all the
silly rules. You aren’t replicating something.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Brittany: I’m in active denial because I’m scared of them.
Sofia: I’m probably going to say yes. Ghost as this white figure floating
in the shape of a human—I don’t know if that is what I see when I think
of ghosts. I think spirits are real. Nobody knows and we are arrogant to
assume we know anything about anything. Ghosts are real; sorry Brittany.
Brittany: I didn’t say they weren’t.
Jeff Hurter: No one really knows. I’m sure there are spirits out there.
Brittany: Have you ever had a ghost experience?
NO, BUT I KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE.
Brittany: Me too and that’s what fucks me up about it.
Sofia: I believe that. If you have the feeling and feel in your heart then
you might as well have. Right?
Kieran: I totally had a ghost experience when I was 17 or 18 years old.
Nobody knows about this thing that shitty teenage boys do where they
sit and burn candles, drink wine, and try to be really sophisticated.
This was with my friend Ryan in high school. He is a very firm believer
in ghosts and was talking to me about ghosts for like hours and hours.
His mother unfortunately passed away as a kid. He believes he has his
mother’s ghost following him around which is reasonable if you’ve had
trauma about your mother in your life. He was talking about this. He
kept saying “Don’t you feel it getting colder in this basement? It keeps
getting colder” and I said “It is kinda getting colder but like maybe
it is just because it is late at night.” I didn’t want to believe. Then he
said out loud “If there’s a ghost in this room let yourself be known.” A
broom fell over on the other side of the room. I freaked the fuck out
and got the hell out of that basement. Ever since then I’ve just put it to
the back of my mind or thought “maybe it was the cat.”
Brittany: He’s never mentioned this to me in three years of dating. •
WILLOW: WHAT IS YOUR
FAVOURITE LOCAL BAND?
Katarina: There are so many, but
probably Bonnie Doon.
WILLOW: WHAT IS YOUR
FAVOURITE PART ABOUT THE
OTTAWA MUSIC SCENE?
Katarina: All the
great new art I get to
experience.
WILLOW: WHAT IS
SOMETHING ABOUT THE
OTTAWA MUSIC SCENE THAT
YOU APPRECIATE, THAT OTHER
PEOPLE MIGHT NOT THINK OF?
Katarina: Can I say
“discreetly chugging beer
outside a venue” or should
I think of something
actually good? •
16
17
JULY EVENT LISTINGS
THURSDAY JULY 7
7:30PM Juliana & Jesse James Just-Costa with
The David Eves Band
Avant-Garde / $5
WEDNESDAY JULY 13
5PM Bluesfest: Brad Paisley and the
Decemberists with many more
Lebreton Flats / $54.50—$229 adv/ all ages
10PM Valued Customer with Other Families
Avant-Garde / $5
10PM Lost in Space with DJ Lowpass
Zaphod's / Free
9PM My Son the Hurricane + Atherton + DJ DUSTY
House of Targ / $8
THURSDAY JULY 14
8PM The Beck Sisters with The Bottle Hearts
Pressed
10PM 4 Play Thursdays: DJ Jas Nasty + Chris
International + Pete Shredz
Zaphod's / Free
FRIDAY JULY 8
9PM The Royals with Cloud City
Avant-Garde / $7
5PM Bluesfest: Noel Gallager's High Flying Birds
with many more
9PM Voice of a Generation PUNK NITE Vol 1.
with Opposition Rising + Hard Charger + L'animal
Méchant
House of Targ / $5 before 10/ $7 after
8PM The Night Watch with Ourobros
Pressed / $10
8PM Sparrows with Samuel Powers + Maritime
Bleach + Nighttime In Kansas
Zaphod's / $10 / all ages
11PM Another Planet with DJ Emmet
Zaphod's / $3 before 12/ $6 after
SATURDAY JULY 9
8PM Insufficient Funds with Clavius Control +
Hellheart + Gnarly Brown + Grand Theft Ottawa
Avant-Garde / $5 PWYC
8PM Cheshire Carr
Avant-Garde / PWYC
9PM The Holy Gasp + The Sulks + More
House of Targ / $10
8PM Tiger Moon with Beau Real
Live! On Elgin / $10
THURSDAY JULY 21
8PM Culture Reject with Claude Munson
Pressed / $7
8PM The Autumn Stones with Luna Drown
Avant-Garde / PWYC
8PM Natalie L’Amour with John Allaire
Avant-Garde / PWYC
5PM Bluesfest: Red Hot Chili Peppers and Zeds
Dead with many more
9PM Bry Webb + Winchester Warm + Brandon Allan
House of Targ / $10
9PM James Declare and the Cable 22s with Jimmy
Tri-Tone Band
Irene's Pub / $8
FRIDAY JULY 22
8PM Outer Rooms with Terrorista + Young Offenders
Pressed / $5
8PM Slim Moore's Summer Jam
Zaphod's / $7
11PM Electric Ballroom with DJ Floodzi
THURSDAY JULY 28
7PM The Cat Empire
Algonquin Commons Theatre / $32.50 advance
FRIDAY JULY 29
SATURDAY JULY 23
8PM Union Duke with Common Deer
Black Sheep Inn / $10 advance
9PM Voice of the People Ski Nite ft. The Sentries +
Sound One + DJs Longshot & Lord Snappy
House of Targ / $7 before 10PM/ $10 after
9PM Stone Age Man
Irene's Pub / $10
10PM Another Planet with DJ Emmett
SATURDAY JULY 30
6PM Necronomicon with Abiotic, Vesperia, Endemise,
Infiltration and Hunter Gatherer
Mavericks / $13 advance
8PM Appalachia with CHRIST + Jean Mo
Avant-Garde / $10
6:30PM Nothing with Pine and Wild Love
Ritual / $15 advance
8PM Xavier Leahy with Emily Flack
Black Sheep Inn / $10 advance
10PM 4Play Thursdays: The Vinyl Frontier with DJ Jas Nasty
Zaphod's
9PM White Cowbell Oklahoma + In Heat + Hot
Snake Handlers + DJ Rushmore
House of Targ / $7 before 10PM/ $10 after
FRIDAY AUGUST 5
9PM Whiskey Fields with Jessica Pearson Band
Irene's Pub / $8
8PM Jay Arner + Supermoon + Heron’s Wake
Pressed / $8
6:30PM Skeletonwitch with Loviatar and A Scar For
The Wicked
AUGUST
MONDAY AUGUST 1
8PM Prairials
Avant-Garde / PWYC
8PM Mondo-Tiki Freakout with The Reverb
Syndicate + The Huaraches + Obsidians
Zaphod's / $7
9PM Medictation with Panic Attack + The Valveenus
+ Benevenstanciano
House of Targ / $10
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3
9PM Switched On Synths: Rational Youth + Dada
Pogrom + Error 144
House of Targ / $10
8PM Julie Doiron with Adrian Teacher, Construction
& Destruction
Bar Robo / $7
9PM Nervosa with Mortor + Venator + Exo-Vedate
House of Targ / $15 advance
Zaphod's / Free
THURSDAY AUGUST 4
7PM Mattie Leon with Arlene Paculan, Kristin St-Pierre
and Julie Corrigan
Avant-Garde
SATURDAY AUGUST 6
9:30PM Lost to the River + Midnight Vesta + Fire Antlers
Irene's Pub / $10
8PM Nüshu + Albatros + DOXX + Toxic Thoughts
Pressed / $7 / all ages
8PM Freak Heat Waves with New Fries + Spell
Zaphod's / $8.50 advance / $10 door / all ages
9PM The Radiation Flowers with The Band Whose
Name is a Symbol + David Jackson
The Dominion Tavern / $10
9PM Ottawa Punk Softball After Party: Fresh Hell
+ Rydell + Warp Lines House of Targ / $5
7PM Greta Knights with First Fragment +
About:Blank + Signs of Chaos and Fumigation
Minotaure (Gatineau) / $12 advance
8PM Space Jam ft. Laps + Elsa + Novusolis
Pressed / $10 (no one turned away)
8PM Unknown Mortal Orchestra with Klaus Johann Grobe
8PM Coming Up Next EP Release Party with Sounds of
Stories + Alanna Sterling and the Silvers
Zaphod's / $6
SUNDAY JULY 24
8PM Psychedelic Dirt
Pressed
8PM Bib with Grosser + Chiller
Pressed / $5-$10 sliding scale
8PM Pete Deachman + Handsome Molly
Pressed / $10
7:30PM Ready the Prince with Bitter North + Bull Domino
9PM The Balconies with Rebelle
Venue TBA / Free
6PM Thanya Iyer + Lucila Al Mar
The Record Centre / $7 PWYC / all ages
Zaphod's / Free
9PM Black Mountain
8PM Dark for Dark with Pony Girl (acoustic) +
Cactus Flower
Bar Robo
18
8PM Bytown Swing Live with Peter Liu and the
Pollcats
10PM 4Play Thursdays: Low Frequency with Pete Shredz
Zaphod's / Free
MONDAY JULY 25
TUESDAY JULY 12
8PM Steve Payne with Paul Hobday
Irene's Pub / $15
8PM Jabbour CD Releast with Ball and Chain
Pressed / $10
SUNDAY JULY 17
2PM Bluesfest: City and Colour and Bryan Ferry + more
WEDNESDAY JULY 27
8PM Not Normal: Experimental Music Night
Pressed
9PM Get Off My Lawn
Avant-Garde / PWYC
9:30PM Kayla Howran with Express and Company
Irene's / $10
6PM Downstream + Sleepshaker + The Belafonte +
The Great Diversion + Caves + Slip + Swim Team
9PM Steve Adamyk Band + Needles//Pins + Sonic
Avenues + Creep Wave House of Targ / $10
9PM Biblical + Mountain Dust + Rex Heck
House of Targ / $8
7PM Kristin Myers
Avant-Garde / PWYC
8PM Weird Lines with Adrian Teacher + Jon McKiel
Bar Robo / $8
SATURDAY JULY 16
7PM Beirut
Algonquin Commons Theatre / $35-$40 advance / all ages
9PM Onionface + Brain Flower + Cold Chords +
Mudpuppies
House of Targ / $5
8PM Greenhouse + Talking out Loud + Sweet Potato
Fridays + Lovegood
Pressed / $10
7PM Curses and Walkney with Lights In August and
Fragile Figures
Club SAW / $10 advance
8PM Country Rd 44
Pressed / $10
Zaphod's / Free
FRIDAY JULY 15
8PM Century Thief with Trees + Meloncholiflowers
MONDAY JULY 11
8PM Kunle
11PM 4Play Thursdays: Another Planet with DJ Emmett
Zaphod's / Free
2PM Bluesfest: Duran Duran and Nelly with many
more
7PM Chris Maskell Jazz Quartet
Pressed / $8
WEDNESDAY JULY 20
5PM Bluesfest: Awolnation and the Monkees with
many more
2PM Bluesfest: Earl Sweatshirt and the Cult with
many more
2PM Bluesfest: Jon Fogerty and San Fermin with
many more
8PM Sting Masons
Pressed / $10
8PM She-Devils with Un Blonde + Boyhood
Zaphod's / $8 adv / $10 door / all ages
9PM Switch on Synths with For Esme + Saxsyndrum
+ Infinity's Astrum House of Targ / $8
SUNDAY JULY 10
MONDAY JULY 18
10PM 4Play Thursdays: Now Playing with DJ Jon Deck
Zaphod's / Free
8PM Mushy Gushy Tape Release with Stay Classy +
Elementals + Kitchen Party
Bar Robo / $8
10PM Electric Ballroom with DJ Zaphod's / $3
before 12/ $6 after
TUESDAY JULY 26
8PM The Telegrams
Irene's Pub / Free
19
NAC’S CROSSROADS BRINGS
COLLABORATORS TOGETHER ACROSS GENRES
APT 613
BY CHRISSY STEINBOCK
BY HANA JAMA
FROM LEFT: JUSTIN RUTLEDGE BY CHRISTOPHER YOUNG, LYNNE HANSON, KATHLEEN EDWARDS BY TODD V WOLFSON
AFTER A SWINGING FIRST YEAR,
PETR CANCURA’S CROSSROADS
SERIES RETURNS TO THE NAC IN
THE NEW SEASON WITH A FRESH
SLATE OF SONGWRITERS LINED UP
FOR A JOURNEY INTO JAZZ.
The three shows recently
announced feature Kathleen
Edwards, Lynne Hanson
and Justin Rutledge, all fine
storytellers with a rootsy bent. A
fourth Ottawa singer-songwriter
will be announced in October.
Co-presented by NAC
Presents and the Ottawa
Jazz Festival, Crossroads
is a concert series of onetime-only collaborations
curated by Simone Deneau
and Petr Cancura, musician
and programming manager
at the Ottawa Jazz festival.
The premise for the project
is that Cancura chooses a few
favourite songwriters and then
re-arranges their songs in a jazz
context, backed up by a crack
band of jazz cats.
The result is an experience
where you hear different sides
to songs you thought you
knew and watch the melding
of musical worlds. It’s not
just sounds that meet up at
the Crossroads but styles,
scenes and fans. The project
is a natural fit for Cancura
who’s played saxophone in jazz
groups, with folk songwriters,
and The Mighty Popo. He’s also
a bluegrass fan who plays some
mandolin and banjo as well.
“What I love about jazz is the
improvising, that energy and
the virtuosity because those
musicians in the jazz scene tend
to be very virtuosic and they
can kind of do anything. But
what I miss in that world is that
raw storytelling vibe that only
singer-songwriters do.”
And don’t even pretend you’re
20
NAVIGATING FREE LABOUR
IN THE SCENE
not excited to hear Kathleen
Edwards will be taking a break
from her break to play the
series. On November 24 the
Ottawa songwriter who can
bust your heart with songs like
“Six O’Clock News” and “Asking
for Flowers” will be returning
to the stage to join Cancura, a
longtime friend who arranged
the horns on her first record.
On the series Kathleen Edwards
says, “This music collaboration
is a dream scenario for me
because I’ll be able to sing on
a totally clean slate, reinvent
my songs, fit into a group of
world-class musicians, and start
something completely fresh
artistically.”
Re-invention is what the
series is about. Cancura and
the incredible house band he’s
assembled have the chops to
see a song as a starting point
and use it for parts, keeping
some and replacing others in
the re-assembly. Expect earopening takes on familiar
tunes, shiny jazz chords, and
lots of instrumental interplay.
Whether it’s an entirely new
rhythmic feel, new chords to
an old melody or a little bit of
everything, Cancura always
bring a respect for the original
and leaves lots of room for
the in-the-moment energy of
improvisation. “If you’re into
jazz you’re going to hear this
really great jazz band commit
themselves to this other genre
without compromising their
own musicality which is also
really powerful,” he says.
Crossroads heads into its
second year with the original
house band featuring respected
jazz musicians, Roddy Elias
(guitar), drummer Greg Ritchie,
John Geggie on bass and, of
course, Cancura himself on
saxophone. There are a few
changes though. The series has
grown to four shows spread
out over the year and the net’s
been cast a little wider with the
inclusion of Toronto’s Justin
Rutledge. Still, most of the
Crossroads talent is Ottawabased. The mood may be a little
different too as the shows move
out of the intimate Fourth Stage
into the Theatre and the Studio
(the NAC’s bigger rooms). The
upside is more people will get
a chance to hear these pretty
special one-time collaborations.
I got in touch with Cancura
to learn more about the
Crossroads’ second season.
Here is an excerpt form our
conversation.
Apt613: How do you go about
choosing the songwriters you’re
featuring in the next season?
Petr Cancura: I like the fact
when it’s somebody who’s local
or as local as possible, because
then with the amount of effort
I put into it it’s really good to
meet up with these artists a
bunch of times. The way I went
about it was to really think of
musicians that I like – I like
the way they write or I like
either their story of their type
of melody, something that grabs
me that I think is authentic.
As long as it feels strong
and authentic than I feel I can
totally work with it. We did go
through singers and I was like,
“You know what, this might
not really work”. I won’t name
things. It’s like I can’t really feel
what I would do at this point,
then we would move onto the
next and be like, “Yes! that’s
great I can totally hear things
already.” You can hear it right
away when you’re like, this is
going to work.
I’m curious how did you got
Kathleen Edwards to do the
show.
I’m really excited that she
agreed as well (laughs) I think
it’s two fold first of all cause
we do have a history and I was
able to work with her before.
I did a lot of the horns on her
first record and that goes back
almost twenty years at this
point and we haven’t actually
done that much since then. I did
a bunch of shows around that
time before she moved away and
then she moved back and then
I moved away and all that stuff.
I think that’s one thing that we
do have that history and I was
really upfront with her also
about what I though this could
be, how I would like to do it and
I sent her a bunch of the records
I’m doing and I think she knows
and hopefully likes what I do. I
think there’s that trust too.
If there was somebody who
was somehow still on the fence,
why would you say this is a must
see?
First of all, because you’re
never going to see this again.
These are once in a lifetime
opportunities, they really
are. If you like any of those
musicians or if you like jazz
and you like that band or your
like that songwriter, it’s going
to be a really unique, authentic
experience. It’s just because
of the nature of the show. It’s
just going to happen once.
Everybody’s a really high level
musician in this project and
they know this is a one-ff show
which means they just go for it
so the energy of the show is also
really strong because it’s like
not like oh, it’s the first gig of a
ten day tour its like this is it. So
every show has had this kind of
edge which has been great.
The series doesn’t start
until the fall, but with the buzz
building, you may want to make
your plans while you can. •
It’s hard to get money with whatever
you are passionate about—especially if your
passion has something to do with the arts. I
may sound like an old parent when I say this
but it is often the truth.
As someone with intersected identities—
meaning I am a woman, queer, Black, and
Muslim all at the same time, not separately—
it can be hard navigating through DIY
spaces even as a showgoer. Navigating the
scene with these identities becomes even
more complex as someone who books and
organizes shows.
I have to deal with the same whiteness that a lot of showgoers and
punks of colour have to deal with but on a more heightened level
because I am organizing and working with the white bookers who book
white musical acts which encourages more white audiences to come
out.
I also never make money from booking shows.
Every show I’ve ever organized or helped co-present is another show
I see no rewards from. Every email I send, phone call I make, artist I
recruit to make the poster, the Facebook page I make, and the word I
spread, is worth no monetary value.
The same can be said for many organizers who ensure that whatever
money bands bring in at shows, actually goes to the bands. I know I
need and deserve the money, but so do they. I could stop entirely but I
try my best to book mainly musicians/artists of colour or queer artists
of colour to diversify the local music scene because I know that’s what
this scene needs.
Often when these shows get press or when fellow Babely Shades
members and I are being interviewed for our work in diversifying
THE BABELY SHADES CORNER
the music scene with these shows, we still don’t get paid for that. It
could be for bigger publications such as Noisey or Fader, or smaller
publications such as Ottawa Citizen and the Charlatan—no matter
what, we still don’t get compensated for the draining process of
explaining inclusivity, the importance of safer spaces, and queer/
people of colour politics and jargon to white folks.
In the same way that journalists are educating the public, as their
sources, so are we. But when we’re continually relied on to educate
others, we get no compensation in return.
As many do, I have to look beyond my main interests to experiment
with other art mediums and/or gain other skills in order to get paid. If
I kept just making music and booking shows for other musicians while
doing activism (which no one gets paid for), then I could not get by
financially.
I hope that booking DIY Shows can become a sustainable source
of income for some people in the future. There are bigger venues that
hire bookers specifically but as a freelance DIY-booker, you don’t have
any security. If your work is freelance because most venues are whiteowned, genre-specific, or don’t like mixed bills, your options don’t
grow as others’ might.
This turns into several layers of free work: the work of booking and
promoting, the emotional labour of educating while you book and
promote, the work of educating the people who interview you, and the
constant side hustle because your work is seen as niche if you’re not
booking white bands.
That’s a lot of free labour. And doing all of this free work isn’t
possible for some folks who may have added barriers and simply
cannot have 10 different side hustles.
Free work is not sustainable to anyone, but it is especially not
sustainable to marginalized communities. This work is seen as a cool
hobby but for those of us trying to make a space for ourselves, art isn’t
something fun to experiment with—it’s our lives, its our way of survival
in a society that shits on us, it’s our air, and for that we should be hired
and compensated more. •
CIRCABEATZ MUST BE
SEEN TO BE BELIEVED
WORDS & PHOTO BY PATRICK JODOIN
If you’ve had the fortune of
catching one of American hip-hop
producer AraabMuzik’s appearances
in the Nation’s Capital, you’re
likely aware of the mesmerizing,
sometimes dizzying, and always
adrenaline-inducing experience of
watching real-time electronic drum
programming.
If you’re confused by the above
sentence, here’s a little primer: a lot
of the contemporary hip-hop beats
you hear were composed on a Music
Production Controller, or MPC,
the industry standard sampler and
drum machine. It features 16 rubber
pads which the user programs with
samples and drum sounds to put
together a hip-hop beat. Some may
instead use the Maschine digital
audio workstation—it all comes
down to the user’s preference.
The Maschine and MPC are
typically put to use in a studio
environment, but producers like
AraabMuzik and Toronto’s Fresh
Kils have popularized their use in
live performances. Their real-time
“finger” drumming videos tend
to rack up an obscene number of
YouTube views and draw big crowds
at club appearances.
There’s an Ottawa-based
producer/DJ who has been getting
attention as he gives the finest in live
drum programming a run for their
money. In fact, a true showman
and master of his craft, this Ottawa
Maschine wizard regularly performs
blindfolded.
Jonny Henry, a.k.a. Circabeatz,
has been in Ottawa’s music
scene for a long time. He came
up as a traditional drummer in
various hardcore bands, such as
If Tomorrow Comes and I Refuse.
After some time on the circuit, he
decided to switch gears and focus
“I HAVE ALWAYS AND WILL ALWAYS
PLAY DRUMS. I JUST LOVE THE FEEL
OF PLAYING THEM. ACOUSTIC KITS,
ELECTRIC KITS . . . I GOT A HUGE LOVE
FOR PERCUSSION.”
on working as a hip-hop DJ around
town and on CHUO FM’s Cypher
show on Friday nights.
He says the similarities between
the two scenes outweigh the
differences.
“One thing I noticed is when local
hardcore bands put out a record and
performed it, the crowd really knew
the words for every song,” he says.
“And for hip-hop, locally, I didn’t see
that as much . . . But as a similarity:
the energy of a live show. If [it’s] put
on right in the hip-hop world, mosh
pits, stage diving, crowd surfing,
etc., can still go down just like in the
hardcore/punk scene.”
Like many DJs, Circabeatz’s work
on the turntables morphed over time
into original music production. His
love for drums would again resurface.
Circabeatz says his time as a
hardcore drummer has informed his
current work on the Maschine.
“Most of my beats are driven
by the drums or are drum-heavy,”
he said. “With my live fingerdrumming routines, the drums are
the main piece that is done live.”
He describes his sound as
“energetic, hyper hip-hop from a
drummer’s point of view” and it
must be seen and heard in person.
Circabeatz’s influences include the
aforementioned AraabMuzik and
Fresh Kils, plus SkiBeatz, DJ Premier,
and locals Jeepz and DJ So Nice.
DJ So Nice is also a frequent
collaborator and together they’ve
won beat battles as the production
duo Qualified Pros. Circabeatz also
regularly performs with So Nice and
MC SawBuck, playing the drums—
actual drums, he’s come back
around full circle—in their live sets
while The Kid Gorgeous plays the
electronic drum pads.
Circabeatz stays extremely busy.
Apart from regular DJ gigs, he’s
boosting his profile as a force to be
reckoned with in the live hip-hop
production realm. His record in live
beat battling is 6-0.
“Mostly I just perform beat
showcases these days,” he says. “Maybe
nobody really wants to battle me!”
One can’t fault his competition
for shying away. The man
regularly composes flawless beats
before spellbound audiences with
just his fingers and a Maschine—
while blindfolded. •
21
THE MUSIC PRODUCER AGREEMENT
BY BYRON PASCOE
Whether you’re a music producer,
or a performing artist working with a
producer, it’s important to discuss the
terms of your arrangement with each
other.
While it’s better late than never
to formalize the artist-producer
relationship, it’s easier to start the
conversation before heading into the
studio, and much easier before the
song generates interest and money.
What does a producer do? They
generally oversee the production
of the song, record the artist’s
performance and produce artistically,
commercially, and technically viable
masters.
Some of the logistics questions
answered in a producer agreement
are where the song will be recorded,
the artist’s approval process, and the
producer’s deliverables.
22
Regarding the master recordings,
will they be owned and controlled by
the artist? Controlling the masters
includes the exclusive rights to
manufacture and distribute them.
Also, for publishing opportunities, if
a music supervisor wants to use the
recording in an ad, the master use
license (from whoever controls the
master) is one of the required licenses
needed to place the song.
What percentage, if any, is the
producer entitled to the song’s
copyright as the artist’s co-author?
The outcome may be that the artist
and producer each own a percentage
of undivided interest in the copyright,
whether 50/50, 80/20, etc.
Regardless of the copyright
percentage held by an artist or
producer, both of their consent
is required for copyright holder
decisions. As such, it may be
preferable for an artist to get the
producer to pre-approve (in the
agreement) as much as possible
instead of asking later. It may be
reasonable that the producer provide
the artist with a mechanical licence
to reproduce their share of the
song in respect of the commercial
exploitation of the master in return
for their pro-rata share of the
mechanical royalty (head to CMRRA
for more details).
What financial compensation
should the producer receive, up
MUSIC INDUSTRY
front and on the back end? Perhaps
the producer will be entitled to a
percentage of the published price to
dealer for physical copies, but will
be entitled to receive a percentage
of the gross revenue generated for
streaming. A related question is
whether or not the producer will be
paid before or once the artist has
money in their pocket from sales.
Along with money, credit is key.
The agreement may indicate the
specific credit that the producer will
receive.
There are a variety of standard
reasonable clauses that should
be considered to be in a producer
agreement, including regarding the
work of the artist and producer being
original and clarifying what happens
should the contributions not be
original.
While the artist may be given the
right to license or assign their rights to
others (for exploitation purposes), it’s
not as reasonable that the producer
be allowed to get someone else to do
their job.
The producer agreement is likely
either a deal between an unsigned
artist and producer, or an agreement
between a producer and the record
label who signed the artist. If the
former, it’s important for the artist
to consider what rights the label
will want held by the artist, such as
control of the masters.
This article merely highlights a few
relevant concepts that are generally
considered and negotiated in a
producer agreement, along with other
terms. Ideally this article encourage
artists and producers to talk about the
relationship from the start.
The conversation should be
more than what amount of cash is
switching hands. If the conversation
concludes that the artist is giving the
producer a certain fee to produce
a song, the expectation of the artist
might be that the money covers all
rights, whereas the producer might
think it’s an advance against their
future royalties as a co-author. The
result of such incomplete discussions
is far riskier if the song is successful,
and if you’re doing this to be
successful, you might as well plan for
success.
Byron Pascoe is a lawyer with the
Ottawa-based Edwards PC, Creative
Law, which provides legal services
to Music, Digital Media, Game,
TV, Film, and Animation industry
clients. He can be reached at byron.
[email protected]
Byron works with musicians
and music companies to assist
with record label agreements,
publishing contracts, distribution
deals, producer agreements, band
agreements, etc.
This article is for general
informational purposes only and is
not to be construed as legal advice.
Please contact a lawyer if you wish
to apply these concepts to your
specific circumstances. •
23

Here - Ottawa Beat

Transcription

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